Traction device



H. BiIEINos.

THACTION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20,192I.

194329167., Patented Oct. 117, 1922.

I faml I Il I, IIIv 'II |I|| Il y un IH III t Img I O III vI||II Patented @et il?, 11922.

HENRY 1B. ENOS, OF SANTA llIAi-Ls,

CALFR'NIA..

TRLGTN EVGE.

.application filed July 530,

To all w 710m 'it may concern: l

Be it known that I, HENRY B. Enos, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Santa l/laria, in the county oi' Santa Ban bara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful improvements in rlraction Devices, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to tractors of the endless chain type and seeks to provide a construction in which the rictional resistance and wear between the moving parts will be minimized, a particular object of the invention being to provide a construction in which the endless chain may be arranged in the central vertical plane oic the driving sprocket wheel and the use of a single chain ot' links permitted, thereby dispensing with one endless chain now generally employed and permitting a substantial reduction in the width of the driving sprocket without any loss of efficiency. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings- Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a traction device embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view ot one of the links;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken through the pivotal connection between adjacent links.

Traction devices of the class to which my invention applies consist or' endless chains carrying ground-engaging members and trained around spaced wheels, one of which must be an actuating sprocket. In actual use, both wheels are generally in the form of sprockets but such construction is not absolutely essential. The shafts oi these wheels are held in a fixed spaced relation by the frame ot the machine, a portion ot which is indicated at l in the accompanying drawing, and in the said drawing, .J designates the actuating sprocket which is provided with recessed lugs or teeth 3 upon its periphery, the said lugs or teeth being transversely grooved to accommodate the joint between the links otl the traction device and being centrally recessed, as indicated at 4, 2, to receive the intermediate portions of the 1921. Serial lilo. 486,196.

said links. The traction device comprises an endless chain oit links 5 which are con structed at their opposite ends with offset extensions 6 adapted to overlap and provided with transverse openings 7 therethrough, pivot pins 8 being inserted through the registering openings of adjacent links w iereby to connect the links in an obvious manner. intermediate their ends1 the links are each provided with lateral lugs 9 to which the Yfeet or tread plates l0 are rigidly secured. Upon the outer side face of each extension 6 is a lateral cylindrical lug il axially alined with the opening 7 through 'the said extension and having a longitudinal rib l2 upon its inner surface. Within each cylindrical lug lll is disposed a bushing 13, the bushing being provided with an external longitudinal groove adapted to engage the said rib l2 whereby the bushing will be keyed within the cylindrical lug. The aX ially alined. bushings lit around the pivot pins 8, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, so that the wear is received by the bushings which may be very easily and cheaply replaced whenever the wear becomes excessive. ln assembling the device, the body'portions oi the links lit within the recesses 4 of the sprocket and the lateral lugs l1 engage Within the transverse grooves of the sprockets 3 so that rotation of the driving sprocket wheel will actuate the links and eliect propulsion in a Well-known manner. lt will be readily noted that the engagement ot the longitudinal body portions of the links within the central recesses upon the sprockets serve to maintain the proper alinement of the links while reducing the surfaces in Contact, and the tread plates l0 may, of course, be of any desired width so that the area in contact with the ground may be just as wide and as effective as is the case when two parallel endless chains are employed as is the more general arrangement. Cap plates or washers 14 are provided upon the ends of the pivots 8 so as to retain the bushing and the pivots in proper position within the overlapping ends o't the links and these washers or cap plates may be easily removed when renewal oll the bushings becomes necessary. My improved traction chain is very simple and may be produced at a low cost while the expense ol" upkeep will be minimized and the dead weight imposed upon the mathe offsets on the meeting ends of adjacent links overlapping, lateral cylindrical lugs on the outer sides of said-extensions adapted to engage the transverse grooves in the teeth on the sprocket wheel, lateral lugs on the sides of the links to project between successive teeth on the sprocket wheel, pivot pins inserted through the overlapping extensions at the meeting ends of adjacent links and through the cylindrical lugs on said eXtensions, and traction plates secured to the lugs on the sides of the links.

In testimony whereof I alilx mysignature.

HENRY B. ENOS. [L s] 

